Harry Potter and life after the war
by Malinski
Summary: This is my version of what could have happened after the Battle of Hogwarts. Slightly AU. Enjoy!


_A/N Hi! Thankyou so much for taking the time to read my little story. I would appreciate if you read the following introduction before diving straight into the story. This is my first time writing fanfiction so please bear that in mind. This story is set after the Battle of Hogwarts, starting at around 20.00 on the day of the battle. I have tweaked some things but only from the final battle. All the characters, places that you recognise belong to the great JK Rowling and no copyright infringement is intended. There may be some new places or characters made up by me but we__'ll see. __I will stop boring you now and congratulate you for getting to the end of that, whatever it was. If you get to the end and would like to review it please do. If you don't like it I appreciate constructive criticism. Please bear in mind that English is not my first language and I'm trying my best. Now I'm done..._

_02/05/1998_

_Harry Potter - Saviour of the Wizarding World_

_By Rita Skeeter_

_To the great relief of the Wizarding community You Know Who's reign of terror is over. The picture is not yet complete but it is clear that there was a large battle at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in which you know who was killed by Harry Potter. _

_The Daily Prophet will be conducting an exclusive interview with Harry Potter - the boy who lived, Triwizard champion, the chosen one and now Saviour of the Wizarding World. _

_Find out what Potter and his friends were really up to this past year, what they were doing at the Ministry of Magic, how he killed he who must not be named, his romantic exploits of the past year and much more in our special commemorative war edition next week. _

Ron and Hermione were sat on the couch in the mostly empty Gryffindor common room with the (insert sarcastic adjective here to do with truthfulness) Daily Prophet.

"Romantic exploits?" Hermione exclaimed in exasperation "if they're just going to make something up then I'm going to..."

"We'll just have to ignore it?" Ron replied, trying to calm down his girlfriend. The thought of Hermione as his girlfriend made something flip inside his stomach as he thought about how lucky he was to have her, for the war to be over...

He was awoken from his thoughts by a hand waving in front of his face and an exasperated Hermione saying "Earth to Ron!" She had been exasperated with him many times in the past, often for reasons unbeknownst to him but this was different. She was smiling at him affectionately and he couldn't resist the urge to kiss her on the cheek and thus making her face a shade of red not far from that of a ripe tomato.

"What were you thinking about?" Hermione asked him after regaining her composure.

"You do realise we're the only ones in here and yet..." Ron was unable to finish his sentence before Hermione kissed him.

"You were saying?" Hermione

"I really really like you" he replied innocently before leaning in to kiss her again. However they were rudely interrupted when Harry came down the stairs.

"Oi you two!" Harry yelled when he entered the common room and saw his best friends attacking each other with their mouths on the couch.

"Harry, you're awake!" Hermione ran over to Harry and hugged him "how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay" he replied in his typical fashion, (insert Harryesque adjectives here)

"Okay? Honestly Harry only you would describe yourself as being okay after defeating the most dangerous Dark Wizard in like forever" Ron said before hugging Harry, in a manly way of course. There was a moment of silence between the trio before they burst into laughter and shared a group hug.

"We're such a weird bunch" Hermione said when the hug was over.

"How so?" Harry and Ron asked in unison, feigning ignorance before looking at themselves. They were still wearing the clothes from the Battle, which they had been wearing for Merlin knew how long. They were covered in dirt, their clothes were torn, they had burn marks, cuts and bruises and yet they were the happiest they had been in a long time. For the first time since they had started at Hogwarts, Voldemort wasn't lurking around the corner waiting to attack. Sure there were still death eaters out there but that was a worry for another day. At that moment the three friends, who had been at the forefront of the fight against Voldemort could breathe a sigh of relief in the knowledge that they had a future.

The silence was unsurprisingly broken by Ron. "I'm starving! Anyone else fancy something to eat?"

"Honestly Ronald how are you always so actually scratch that I'm hungry too" Hermione said to Harry's amusement.

"What's so funny?" Ron asked when he saw Harry laughing

"You two of course, per usual" Harry replied with a grin. The comment was met two soft punches, one each from his best friends. This only made him laugh more though.

"Seriously though we should eat," Harry said.

"Thank you Harry, let's go!" Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and headed for the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Maybe we should get changed first" Hermione suggested and was met with glares from Harry and Ron "just saying that there'll be more stares if we go down covered in blood"

"But we don't have any" Ron started to speak before remembering the brilliance of Hermione "you are brilliant, the best most wonderful..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah" Harry interrupted Ron before the scene between the couple turned into something he did not want to see "we all know that Hermione is brilliant but can we please just get our stuff of that amazing beaded bag and go join everyone else." Actually it wasn't everyone else that Harry wanted to see. It was more a specific someone.

Five minutes later the trio were headed to the hall, wearing somewhat clean clothes without blood stains that would make Mrs Weasley freak out.

The Great Hall was packed. The reparations work had already started with the house tables moved back into place, the bodies moved and everything repaired. Harry stopped at the entrance to the hall, remembering the first time he had entered as a shy 11 year old who knew next to nothing about his world. Now he was entering the Great Hall as the saviour of that world, almost 7 (?) years later. Of course, being Harry he didn't think of himself as the saviour. He was thinking about all those who died during the war. All those who wouldn't have died if he had finished off Voldemort sooner.

Harry's melancholy thoughts were interrupted by loud applause when the people in the hall saw the trio. Harry joined Ron and Hermione, who were halfway to the teachers' platform in search of the rest of the Weasleys. He was expecting them to stop applauding but everyone just kept clapping, most people were standing up. Harry wished they had just stayed in Gryffindor Tower and asked Kreacher to bring him food. Why were people applauding him? Pretty much everyone in the hall had lost someone during the war, preventable deaths. If he had only acted faster, destroyed the horcruxes earlier. If he had known what he was doing. In a little side chamber lay the bodies of Colin Creevey, Lavender Brown and many others. Most of them were people he didn't know but who had died fighting for him. In another chamber lay the body of Tom Riddle, the reason for it all.

Harry looked up at the teachers' table, happy to see professor McGonagall (sp) in Dumbledore's old chair. Next to her was Kingsley Shacklebolt. He scanned the hall, trying to find the one who had first introduced him to the Wizarding World, who had told him that he was a wizard. He turned around when he heard someone sniff behind him. A sniff so loud it could only come from one person.

"Hagrid!" He turned around and was enveloped in a bear hug. He could feel pebble sized tears dropping onto his head and wondered if he might get drenched if he didn't leave Hagrid's embrace. Hagrid eventually released him.

"What were you scarin' us for 'Arry?" Hagrid cried "oh well, yer alive and ye did it." (A/N an attempt to write Hagrid's accent)

"I guess but so many people died before I did it," Harry replied sadly.

"Ye did yer best 'arry an' ye stood strong. I should go talk to Grawp. He was so brave," Hagrid stated and walked from the great hall. At that point Harry noticed someone waving to him, a very special someone with bright red hair, brown eyes (?) and an adorable smile. He joined the Weasleys at the Gryffindor table, sitting down next to Ginny who immediately hugged him. The rest of the Weasleys greeted him enthusiastically.

"Where are Fred and George?" Harry asked Mr Weasley.

"In the hospital wing. Fred was knocked out during the battle," Mr Weasley replied and noticing Harry's expression hastily added "Madam Pomfrey says he'll be fine but George wanted to stay with him."

"You should really go to the hospital wing yourself Harry dear," Mrs Weasley said in a worried tone "Ronald and Hermione as well. You all look like you haven't slept, eaten or changed clothes in weeks." Harry, whose mouth had been full of food, struggled not to laugh at this and instead shared a meaning look with Ron and Hermione. They ate some more food before finally being persuaded to go to the hospital wing by Mrs. Weasley. And so it was that Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny climbed the great staircase and went up to the hospital wing.


End file.
